Children's home run by Thoughts of Others Limited

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 1 SC038066 Registered provider: Thoughts of Others Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company. The organisation operates a school nearby and can provide therapeutic services. The statement of purpose states that a prerequisite of any child‘s admission is that the placing authority will seek to obtain a deprivation of liberty order.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ten requirements and four recommendations were made at the last inspection. Four requirements and two recommendations have been met. Some progress has been made towards meeting the remaining requirements and recommendations. One new requirement and one new recommendation have been made.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has become registered with Ofsted. He has made gradual steps towards improving the quality of care for children. For example, he has produced a quality of care review. Although this is a positive step in the right direction, the report was delayed in being sent to Ofsted and the process has not included the views of children, staff, families and professionals. This limits the contribution of key Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 2 stakeholders in helping to shape the future of the service and to evaluate the quality of care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although progress is beginning to be made in staff appraisal, training and development, staff have yet to receive training in mental health, missing from care, keeping safe online and attachment theory.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staffing model used by the organisation means that the registered manager continues to work on shift, and a high number of staff work with children on a regular basis. As a result, there is considerable variation in the knowledge of members of staff regarding the children‘s needs. The registered person acknowledges that the current model does not allow the staff to be supervised and led by the registered manager. The responsible individual has collated monthly data on the number of core staff and pool staff working in this home. However, he has not shared this information with the registered manager and has not analysed the data to learn lessons and to draw conclusions about how it affects the needs and outcomes of children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments do not hold up-to-date information. Missing information includes reductions to staff supervision levels and children‘s current risks and capabilities. Risk assessments and protocols for children who go missing from care are not in line with the organisation‘s procedure. Inconsistent information in a range of documents does not clearly state when staff should contact the police. In addition, staff do not have access to interagency missing-from-care procedures. These shortfalls mean that staff may not know how to minimise harm and risk to children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff practice in respect of referring safeguarding concerns, record-keeping and management review has improved. Timely consultation with the local authority designated officer is now documented, and the registered manager now has access to safeguarding information for the home. An allegation made by a child against a member of staff was appropriately referred. This resulted in an internal investigation. However, there is no written record of the investigation and no evidence that it was followed up with the member of staff in supervision. This is a missed opportunity to learn lessons and to improve practice. This allegation was also not covered in the manager‘s last review of the quality of care, and was not notified to Ofsted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff recruitment procedures are still not thorough. For the last two members of staff recruited, the organisation did not obtain a reference from their last permanent employer. Because of these shortfalls, it is not evident how the registered person has measured the applicants‘ suitability against the need to promote children‘s safety.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management overview of restraint has improved. The manager ensures that he talks to staff and children after each restraint to gather their views and experiences of the incident and to ensure that the restraint was proportionate and necessary. However, behavioural management plans are still unsigned and not dated. Documents available to staff clearly state that they can restrict the liberty of a child who has no legal order for such routine restriction. Staff are still not clear about the legal framework within which they exercise their duty of care. Staff remain at risk of applying blanket restrictions to Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 3 children regardless of their legal status. Managerial oversight does not take account of this necessity to ensure that the responses of members of staff stay in line with children‘s legal status.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records for children have been reviewed and revised. However, some documents still have errors or chunks of ‗cut and paste‘ standard text. One significant consent for restriction of liberty contains the name of another child. Some documents are still not signed or dated. Risk assessment documentation is confusing, inaccurate or absent. A health plan contains incorrect information about a child‘s asthma medication. This means staff have no clear guidance that helps them to ensure that children‘s health needs are understood.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The location risk assessment has been updated but still lacks information specific to the home to safeguard the young children who reside there.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All three children living at the home have different needs, and continue to make progress. Children are positive about the importance of education and its value to their futures. Consequently, all children regularly attend school. Children have a say about what happens in their daily lives. This includes attending direct key-working sessions covering objectives set out in their local authority plans. Children are in good health and keep regular appointments with their doctors, dentists and opticians. Staff encourage a good diet and support active leisure pursuits. This promotes children‘s physical and emotional well-being.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/12/2016 Full Requires improvement 21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children‘s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘. The registered Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 4 person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‘s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‘s welfare; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home‘s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home‘s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(e)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‘s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‘s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home‘s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; demonstrates that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(g)(ii)(h)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‘s safety. (Regulation 32(1)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‗the behaviour management policy‘) which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children‘s home and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may 31/03/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 5 be used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35(1) (a)(b)) The registered person must maintain records (―case records‖) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. In particular, ensure local authority care planning documents, copies of any legal orders and a record relating to the protection or safety of the child. The registered person must ensure that case records must be kept securely in the children‘s home during the period when the child to whom the case records

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Requirement Due date

relate is accommodated there. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(c)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the feedback and opinions of children about the children‘s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(2)(b)(4)(a)(5)) 31/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 31/03/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. In particular, that it includes any safeguarding or performance issues. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  Take account of government guidance about assessing the location of a children‘s home, so that the manager of the home will benefit from a clear understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of living in a specific location. This will help establish whether the area is suitable for a home, ensuring that children feel safe and are able to benefit from good quality services. (‗Children‘s homes regulations amendments 2014, Advice for children‘s homes providers on new duties under amendments to regulations that came into effect in January and April 2014‘, page

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Recommendations

5, paragraphs 1–1.30)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 6 workforce related requirements of regulation 16, Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable delivery of the home‘s Statement of Purpose. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children‘s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‗Social care common inspection framework‘, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children‘s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Thoughts of Others Limited

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Inspectors

Dawn Bennett, social care inspector Christy Wannop, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC038066 7 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children‘s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children‘s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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